16th March, 2012
The Kenyan team will be one of five strongest countries in the world to compete at the CAA Africa Cross Country Championships slated for Sunday in Cape Town.
With the absence of a World Cross Country Championships in 2012, the Africa Cross Country Championships will serve as the biggest event this year.
Kenya also dominated the World Cross Country Championships in Punta Umbria, Spain, in March 2011 with African countries such as Ethiopia and Uganda finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively. Eritrea finished 4th, just ahead of South Africa for their best ever team performance.
In 2011, Kenya’s team took the first four positions in the senior men’s race, the first five positions in the senior women, while the junior men and women made a clean sweep of the first six positions.
This year, the Kenyan team will send only four athletes in each category to defend their title.
As a matter of tradition, Kenya organised trials to designate their representatives. Thus, no reigning African champion (both junior and senior) will be present in Cape Town on 18, March.
The senior men’s team consists of Frederick Ndunge, Timothy Kiptoo, Vincent Chepkok and Clement Langat while the senior women are Joyce Chepkirui, Margareta Muriuki, Emily Chebet and Esther Ndiema.